goldnanoparticlessynthesis,spectroscopy,andatomic.docVIP

Gold Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Spectroscopy, and Atomic Force Microscopy PA State Standards: 1.2.11.A Read and understand the central content of informational texts and documents in all academic areas. Use teacher and student established criteria for making decisions and drawing conclusions. 2.5.8.B Verify and interpret results using precise mathematical language, notation and representations, including numerical tables and equations, simple algebraic equations and formulas, charts, graphs, and diagrams. 3.1.10.D Apply scale as a way of relating concepts and ideas to one another by some measure. Convert one scale to another. 3.4.10. A Explain concepts about the structure and properties of matter. 3.7.12.A Apply advanced tools, materials, and techniques to answer complex questions. Demonstrate the safe use of complex tools and machines within their specifications. Introduction: Gold nanoparticles, also known as colloidal gold, are small spheres of gold and can be obtained in sizes between 3 and 150 nm in diameter. In this reaction, sodium citrate reduces the gold cations in hydrogen tetrachloroaurate. As the gold metal forms, anions coat the outside of the particles preventing them from forming larger particles. The small gold nanoparticles that are formed stay in solution because their coatings are negatively charged and repel each other, preventing aggregation. Nano-sized materials often have different properties than the bulk materials; for example, gold nanoparticles appear red. Guiding Question: Please answer the following question before beginning the lab. Sometimes the sizes of the particles synthesized are fairly uniform; other times, their sizes are more varied. What effect might a large variance in particle size have on the width of the peak in the visible spectrum? Equipment / Materials: 0.6 mM hydrogen tetrachloroaurate 0.04 M sodium citrate 2-20 μL pipetman 50-200 μL pipetman 10 mL pipetman Droppers Hot plate UV-VIS spectrophotom